Kyne knelt on the cold church floor, his knees pressed against the damp stone surface. His breathing was still unsteady. His chest rose and fell heavily, as if he had just been relieved of the pressure that was nearly crushing him from the inside. The strange sensation still lingered—like a trace of dark energy pulsing softly through his bloodstream.
Lucifer had indeed stopped possessing him.
However, the sense of his presence… wasn't completely gone.
A few seconds later, hurried footsteps could be heard approaching. Pieter Smit and the church guard hurried over to him. Both of their faces were filled with worry, especially the church guard, who had been staring at Kyne with a wary gaze.
"Are you okay, young man?" the church guard asked in a low but firm voice, as if afraid that one word might trigger something untoward.
Pieter Smit let out a long sigh, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "I really didn't expect the demon to awaken," he said, shaking his head slowly. "But… thankfully, things have calmed down. For now."
Kyne lifted his head slowly. His face looked pale, cold sweat still beading on his temples. "I'm fine," he answered honestly. "It's just… I couldn't handle the pressure from within me. It felt like something was trying to take over me."
The church guard narrowed his eyes. His tone became more serious.
"I'm sure," he said slowly, "that demon isn't dead. It's still inside you, isn't it?"
The question left Kyne speechless.
Several seconds passed without a response. The atmosphere in the church grew increasingly oppressive. Kyne lowered his head, his hands clenching into fists. Then finally, he spoke.
"No," he said simply. "I've managed to fight it off."
But those words were only audible to others. Inside, Kyne was speaking a completely different truth.
"Actually, for now, I've only sealed Lucifer within my body."
"That seal won't last long."
"The pressure from Lucifer could separate my spirit from this body."
"That's why… I must try to find a potion that can reduce the pressure of Lucifer's energy."
Those thoughts raced through his head. He knew that sooner or later, the seal would weaken. And when that time came, he might not get a second chance.
The church guard stared at Kyne for a moment longer, as if trying to see through the lie on his face.
"Don't lie," he said finally. His voice was heavy and cold. "If Lucifer remains within your body, you could lose your own consciousness."
He took a step closer.
"Your soul will form another soul. You will have two different consciousnesses within one body."
Pieter Smit and Kyne fell silent, their faces tense.
"However," the church guard continued, "over time, your primary consciousness will fade. Your memories will disappear one by one. And when Lucifer acts… he will take over your body completely."
His voice lowered.
"At that point, your soul will be declared destroyed. Gone from this world."
Kyne swallowed. The words hit him harder than the pain he had felt earlier.
"Before that happens," the church guard continued without hesitation, "let's be honest. The demon… is still inside your body, isn't it?"
Kyne closed his eyes for a moment. Finally, he took a breath and opened his mouth.
"Actually…" his voice was softer than before, "…the demon is still inside me."
The church guard nodded slowly, as if he had expected the answer all along.
"Don't worry," he said. "We'll meet here again tonight."
"Here?" asked Pieter Smit.
"We'll perform a ritual together to expel the demon," the church guard continued. "But this ritual cannot be done carelessly."
He raised a finger.
"We need at least four more people."
"Four?" Kyne repeated.
"This ritual requires six people as summoners," he explained, "and one person as a sacrifice."
Kyne paused. The word felt heavy.
"Sacrifice?" he asked quietly.
"Sacrifice doesn't mean sacrificing one's life," the church guard continued quickly, as if reading Kyne's thoughts. "It means the person who is the center of the essence, the main objective, and the executioner of this ritual."
His gaze was fixed directly on Kyne.
"And you… will be the sacrifice."
A few seconds passed in silence.
"Very well," Pieter Smit said finally. "We'll meet here again tonight. I'll bring someone to help with this ritual."
"Good," replied the church guard. "I'll also bring the founder of this church… and two prominent pastors from the town of Sandburg."
With all that discussed, Pieter Smit and Kyne said their goodbyes. They had to continue patrolling that day.
-
On the way out of the church, Pieter Smit glanced at Kyne several times.
"Your body must be in a lot of pain from the pressure of that demon's inner energy, right?" he asked.
"Actually, it's a bit sore and hot," Kyne replied. "But I'm confused… why do we have to perform the ritual? Why not just use a potion to counteract the demon's pressure?"
Pieter Smit smiled faintly. "Didn't you hear what the church guard explained? Don't worry. You'll be fine."
But Kyne didn't return the smile. He lowered his head, lost in his own thoughts.
"Will I really be able to return to normal after the ritual?"
Doubt slowly grew, especially since he didn't even know the church guard's name.
"Why are you daydreaming?" Pieter Smit asked, patting Kyne on the shoulder.
"Come on. I'll take you to my old friend's house. I'll ask him to help you with your ritual tonight. He happens to be an expert in dealing with these matters."
He lived near the flea market, in a remote area below the town of Sandburg.
They descended two flights of stairs that led to the lower part of Sandburg. The stairs were narrow, the walls covered in damp stains and overgrown moss, as if this place had long been abandoned by human attention. Each step Kyne took felt heavier, not because of fatigue, but because the atmosphere around him was gradually changing.
Once they reached the bottom, the view of Sandburg was completely different.
While the upper part of the city was filled with sturdy buildings and neat streets, the lower part felt like another world apart. The air here was stale, mixed with the smell of scrap metal, wet garbage, and the faint smoke from small furnaces. Sunlight almost never reached the ground, obscured by the buildings standing close together.
There were few people walking around. Those who did walk with their heads down, walking quickly, as if eager to disappear from sight. Several flea market vendors could be heard whispering, promoting their wares in tired tones.
"Used goods… still usable…" "Spoiled food… cheap…"
The voices sounded flat, hopeless.
Kyne surveyed his surroundings silently. His eyes moved slowly, taking in every tiny detail. In a place like this, he found it easier to understand the vast distance between the lives of the nobility and the common people.
But amidst the bustle of the gloomy market, something happened again.
As they passed a row of vendors, someone suddenly bumped into Kyne hard enough to make him stagger slightly. The person was dressed in dark clothing with a hood covering part of his face. At first glance, his appearance reminded Kyne of the figure who had bumped into him on the train earlier.
"Watch out! Stay out of the way!" the person snapped curtly, without even looking back. He immediately walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Kyne reflexively turned toward the figure, his heart beating faster. A sudden feeling of unease arose, like an inexplicable foreboding.
He wanted to give chase.
But before he could take a step, Pieter Smit's hand grabbed his shoulder.
"There's no need to chase," Pieter said reassuringly. "He's probably just a busy person in a hurry."
Kyne clenched his fist lightly. He stared in the direction the person had disappeared, then sighed and nodded slightly.
"Okay…" he replied briefly.
But inside, his thoughts weren't as calm.
"This is the second time."
"Same person… or at least, someone with the same aura. I'm a little suspicious of him."
"I'll find out someday. There's definitely something wrong with him."
Kyne felt a thin thread connecting the incident on the train to what had just happened. And his gut feeling told him this encounter wasn't a coincidence.
"Don't daydream," Pieter said, nudging Kyne to bring him back to his senses. "You'll get hit again."
Kyne flinched slightly. "Sorry," he said with a faint smile. "I was just thinking for a moment about the person who bumped into me just now."
"Never mind," Pieter replied casually. "Don't think too much about it."
They continued on their way. Their steps led them deeper into the flea market, then into narrow alleys barely wide enough for two people to pass side by side. The walls were covered in worn graffiti and long-torn posters. Dirty water flowed slowly down the sides of the streets, reflecting the dim light from the sparsely hung oil lamps.
Kyne looked around with mixed feelings.
Several emaciated cats could be seen scavenging for scraps of food among the trash. A dog with exposed ribs barked softly, its voice hoarse with hunger. Small children sat in the corners of the alleys, their eyes blank, staring expressionlessly at passersby.
The sight made Kyne's chest feel tight.
'Life beneath Sandburg is so miserable…'
They lived as if they never existed in the world above. Uncared for, unnoticed, and slowly forgotten.
But Kyne knew that for the people here, this wasn't just a temporary situation.
'This is a fate they must accept…'
'Everyone has a different destiny.'
He studied the weary faces he passed. There was no anger, only a weariness that had been suppressed for too long. Some had probably given up on their dreams. Others were simply surviving, day by day.
'At least… just being able to live for so many years was already very fortunate for them.'
Kyne lowered his head slightly. A bitterness welled up in his heart that was hard to explain. He himself was on the verge of spiritual destruction, possessed by the Demon King, and trapped in a dangerous pact. But looking at these people, it felt like his suffering wasn't the only one in the world.
He clenched his fists lightly. 'Nobles sure are cruel…'
'They live above, while those below are only shadows that seem to have never been seen. 'May the blessings of happiness always be with the people who live under the city of Sandburg.'